Chembur tree fall incident puts activist's focus on BMC; RTI reveals 537 pending disciplinary enquiries against officials

The tree collapse incident at Chembur on Tuesday had claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy. File Pic

An RTI response has revealed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has 537 pending departmental enquiries involving 1,523 officers and employees, raising concerns over delays in disciplinary action within India's richest civic body.

The figures gained attention following the recent suspension of civic officials after a schoolboy died in a tree collapse in Chembur, with critics questioning whether disciplinary action is applied consistently.

The BMC had suspended two M East ward officials for prima facie negligence regarding the tree collapse incident at Chembur on Tuesday afternoon, which claimed the life of an 11-year-old named Vihaan Shrivastava.

The information was obtained by activist Jeetendra Ghadge of The Young Whistle Blowers Foundation.

Ghadge first filed the RTI application in 2021 seeking details of pending departmental enquiries. The BMC initially refused to provide the information. In 2025, the Maharashtra State Information Commission directed the civic body to disclose the records.

The latest data reflects the position as of April 30, 2026.

Enquiries pending for more than six months

According to the report:

- 537 departmental enquiries are pending.

- 1,523 employees are facing enquiries.

- 189 enquiries are pending with enquiry officers.

- 234 employees are under suspension.

Of those suspended, 150 are linked to criminal cases and 84 to bribery or Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases.

The report also shows that:

- 182 enquiries are less than one month old.

- 98 have been pending for two to six months.

- 257 have remained pending for more than six months.

Only 15 enquiries were completed during April 2026.

Engineering staff account for large share of cases

The RTI records show that a significant number of pending enquiries involve engineering staff responsible for civic infrastructure.

The breakdown includes:

- 61 Executive Engineers

- 147 Assistant Engineers

- 283 Sub-Engineers

- 50 Junior Engineers

The report also lists enquiries involving medical staff, administrative officials, clerical employees and Class IV workers.

Questions over action against senior officials

The data highlights a sharp difference between cases involving junior staff and senior officials.

According to the report, no Deputy Municipal Commissioners (DMCs) are currently facing departmental enquiries.

Only one ward officer and two chief engineers are listed among senior officials under enquiry, despite their administrative responsibilities.

Commenting on the findings, activist Jeetendra Ghadge alleged that many enquiries remain pending for years, allowing some officials to retire before cases are completed.

He also claimed that officials often receive minor penalties or are cleared of wrongdoing.

Ghadge further alleged that the BMC has not shared details of employees dismissed from service despite orders from the Maharashtra State Information Commission.

The BMC is yet to respond to the allegations.